The Narrow Icefield had been released all at once. After finishing the entire novel, Sein was deeply shaken, as if a giant stone was lodged in its chest, leaving it restless ever since.

There was simply too much death in it, too many deaths stripped of all dignity, deaths like mud crushed underfoot. In literary history, death is often portrayed as a tragic and heroic image within a character's arc. Writers place life and conviction on opposite sides of a scale, and when a character sacrifices themselves for righteousness, that powerful sense of belief profoundly moves the reader.

But the deaths in The Narrow Icefield had no such glory. Everyone dies. Villagers perish like worms beneath artillery fire. Enemy prisoners are executed over personal grudges. Comrades-in-arms are torn in half like falling leaves. Blood seeps beneath the ice field.

The novel never went into detail about the ideals behind either side of the war. Katjena's village happens to lie directly on the front line, seemingly able to sway between both factions.

Even the protagonist, Katjena, does not go to war out of patriotism or noble duty. Driven only by reckless courage, she rides out from her primitive, free-spirited village and into a battlefield drowned in artillery fire. Because of this, the depiction of war remains strikingly neutral, focusing instead on the individuals destroyed by it.

"So tragic…"

That was the only evaluation Sein could manage.

"War really is a horrible thing."

It paced circles around the cabin, emotions surging more violently with each passing moment. Feeling that its limited vocabulary could no longer express what it felt, it suddenly remembered the all-powerful netizens and hurried to the comment section to see what other alien readers were saying.

The alien readers had likewise suffered an indescribable emotional impact. How could a work like this even exist? The magnificent natural scenery and the brutal war scenes formed an unbelievable contradiction, as though their very souls had been torn apart.

"I kept wondering why Katjena's village was specifically placed on the border between the two armies. I'm used to following the protagonist's perspective, but even Katjena herself wavers. Only after finishing the book did I understand the meaning behind the floating ice. Her village was strategically important, so both armies eagerly tried to win it over.

At first, the villagers passionately debated which side to support. But later, the fields were abandoned, the horses could no longer run, the houses collapsed, and the people cared about only one thing: whoever could end the war, they would follow them… War destroys countless homes…"

"Floating Ice keeps describing the vastness of the icefield. Every time I read it, my chest tightens."

Another reader quickly replied:

"Because compared to the endless icefield, the battlefield occupies only a tiny corner of it… and humans are even smaller."

"The deaths felt far too real. When that soldier died from the aftermath of the explosion, I started crying and kept crying until the end. And when Katjena held the newborn baby from the village, I completely broke down sobbing. Thank goodness the war finally ended, wuwuwu… we finally made it to the end…"

More and more readers joined in crying.

"Yes! At first, I wondered why the story spent time describing Katjena's romantic affairs, but now I realize those were the most precious moments of happiness. Everywhere else was war, suffocating and stripped of humanity. But the little village on the icefield was still primitive and alive.

People laughed, cursed, and gossiped at the village entrance; those little whispers were embellishments of life itself. They expressed life's untamed vitality freely, enjoying the most uncomplicated form of intimacy. And yet by the end, even though only a year had passed, what should have been a brief nightmare... Katjena had grown old, and her wounds could never truly heal. The icefield became ruins… How are people supposed to keep living after that?"

"The vaster the icefield, the narrower the path."

No outside critic was needed anymore. In the hearts of many readers, The Narrow Icefield had already become a masterpiece that was nearly impossible to surpass.

Alien readers discussed it passionately. Extremely long literary analyses appeared one after another, creating a rare spectacle of critical discussion for the Fisherman Cup.

Only after a long while did the readers finally calm down enough to begin discussing things outside the novel itself.

"Since The Narrow Icefield uses humans as its protagonists, the author must be from Blue Planet. Most likely it's Fuling. She's an Official Novelist, right? If anyone says Blue Planet harbors a desire to start wars, I absolutely won't agree."

"I think The Narrow Icefield contains allegory. From other Blue Planet novels, I've gathered that Blue Planet history generally believes certain wars carried positive historical significance overall. So why is this story still written with such neutrality? It reminds me of the major war closest to us… Since we're already on a Blue Planet site, I'll say it directly: the Zerg and the Intelligent Machines resemble those two faceless opposing camps, while the destroyed little village feels more like civilizations of small species like ours…"

"Blue Planet survived war without favoring either side. Instead, it sympathized more with the lives trapped helplessly within it. No wonder their civilization has endured for so long. A tolerant civilization possesses immense vitality."

This long comment received many likes, and the alien readers couldn't help but sigh. The more they learned about Blue Planet civilization, the more deeply they admired it.

Another day of proudly being a Spiritual Citizen of Blue Planet!

"AHHH! My goddess Fuling replied to me!"

One reader's comment suddenly shattered the atmosphere of literary discussion, sending the replies veering in an entirely different direction.

"Have some respect for the goddess! Pretend not to notice the disguise and call her Floating Ice instead. What did she say? Let me be jealous too."

"Hehe, the new Blue Planet writer, Floating Ice, said this style was inspired by a very ethnically distinctive literary tradition from Blue Planet. Its landscapes are rough and weighty, always carrying biting snowstorms. But the characters' inner worlds are delicate and profound, and the characterization reaches incredible depth. At the same time, the entire story is epic and tragic, majestic yet deeply moving…"

"It did feel like it was different from Fuling's previous style."

"Fantasy literature, ice-and-snow ethnic literature, and Fuling's earlier animistic poetry… She really can do everything. No wonder she's my goddess!"

"When are we getting physical books from Fuling? I want a signed copy!"

"Blue Planet! Mr. Yujin! Please hear our demands!"

As readers pleaded for more books from their favorite writers, more and more people joined the discussion.

Wherever intelligent beings exist, comparisons inevitably follow. Humans compare popularity rankings in romance stories, pairing popularity in fanworks, power levels in shounen manga, and alien species were no different.

Naturally, readers loved comparing the abilities of novelists.

"Fuling knows so many literary styles. Xunming seems like the same kind of writer."

"But the two take completely different approaches. How can you compare them together?"

"I actually think Ms. Jung is skilled in many areas, too. Her coordination ability is probably the best among all Blue Planet novelists. Even though she has few works, she's planned many of Blue Planet's major projects. Among novelists, she's definitely top-tier, right?"

"It feels like every Blue Planet novelist has some unique specialty. Even if they only cultivate one field deeply, they still manage to develop multiple styles within it. And there's no need to mention Yongye. My little angel Canghai can write every kind of tragedy imaginable."

"I'm optimistic about the newcomer Feiniao. When's the next work coming out?"

The moment comparisons arise, disagreements inevitably follow. Some readers became interested in Blue Planet literature genres that they had never explored before. Some swore they would never read certain types of Blue Planet literature, while others were simply there for entertainment.

"If you insist on comparing them, then I'll have no choice but to bring up Yujin."

"Every time I think about how there's still an even greater figure above all these outstanding novelists, and that every Blue Planet novelist sincerely respects him, I find it unbelievable…"

"And it feels so contradictory. I genuinely admire Yujin's ideas, but every time I read one of his short stories in Reader's Digest, I start wondering whether the world itself is sick."

"Are you disrespecting If Life Feels Exhausting, Try Taking Thirty Deep Breaths, or are you disrespecting One Simple Goodnight Made Me Realize the Hidden Savage Rules of This World?"

"I figured him out long ago. Hah. Readers are nothing more than Yujin's toys."

Setting aside the fact that some readers had accidentally begun to glimpse the truth, Xi Yujin aboard the Tidal Peace was having an absolute blast. He kept switching between different aliases, writing little "Blue Planet novelist skits" in the comment sections of the next issue of Reader's Digest, all so the audience would be completely stunned once the truth was finally revealed.

By now, he had already used five aliases: Polar Day, Wild Tyrannosaurus Rex, Eden, Wings That Shadow the Heavens, and Floating Ice, corresponding respectively to Xunming, Yongye, Jung, Feiniao, and Fuling.

That only left Mingxing…

His defining trait was "laid-back salted fish." What kind of story could fit his personality while also expanding his literary image?

"How about drawing lots?"

Xi Yujin suddenly came up with a brilliant idea. He immediately wrote down all the genres he could think of onto slips of paper, casually drew one, and slowly unfolded it.

Four large words were written on it:

[Magical Girl]

"What a genius concept," Xi Yujin shamelessly praised himself. "A magical girl story can inspire teenagers, or become the nightmare of adults. Most importantly, it matches Mingxing's style perfectly."

He quickly typed the title of the new story: The Literary Master and the Magical Girl.

The new chapter was uploaded, but since network delays had been getting longer and longer lately, Xi Yujin didn't bother checking the readers' reactions. He uploaded updates for several other stories at the same time, then shut off his optical computer and headed toward the observation hall.

The observation hall was a newly developed feature of Tidal Peace. It had panoramic viewing windows, visual enhancement functions from every angle, and even adjustable gravity settings so passengers could safely enjoy the sensation of strolling through space.

The little Rust Clan members were there, too.

Xi Yujin had taught them many things, and whenever they saw him, they bounced around excitedly.

He had no idea what sort of existence he represented in the Rust Clan's worldview, but once they found a suitable planet, they would part ways. Perhaps hundreds or thousands of years later, when the Rust Clan had multiplied into a great civilization, "Yujin" would become some sort of mythological figure to them.

A pink planet drifted into view. Brown ripple-like streaks crossed its surface, making it resemble a strawberry-and-chocolate lollipop.

"Would this one work?"

Xi Yujin operated the viewing interface, and the system quickly analyzed its basic data. The planet was covered in large amounts of hydrocarbons, which, under ultraviolet light, gave it a faint reddish glow. But the planet's geological activity had long ceased. It was a dead world, lifeless and stagnant, unsuitable as a home.

The next planet was a watercolor-like pale yellow with feather-patterned waves across its surface. Xi Yujin checked the data. This indicated intense volcanic activity. Full of energy, yes, but impossible for life to inhabit.

The next planet was dazzlingly white. Scans showed its reflectivity was ten times greater than that of the neighboring planets, making it shine like a mirror. Unfortunately, it was far too small to serve as a proper habitat.

"Habitable planets really are rare." Xi Yujin put on a more advanced headset telescope and looked farther into the cosmos. "Do planets similar to Blue Planet even exist in this universe?"

The telescope was lightweight, like Blue Planet-style windproof goggles, integrated into a single sleek device full of futuristic aesthetics. It automatically adjusted magnification to the optimal distance.

The little Rust Clan members had already gotten bored and started playing collision games.

At that moment, Gano entered the room.

Hearing the footsteps, Xi Yujin greeted him enthusiastically even though the detection visor blocked his sight. Beneath the glass dome overhead, the two sat side by side in the glittering starlight of space, not because of work, but simply because they wanted to sit together.

After a while, Xi Yujin's eyes grew tired from staring into the distance, so he naturally and lazily leaned against the person beside him.

Gano was always reliable.

Xi Yujin could hear Gano's breathing, along with the faint sounds of him operating his optical computer. He had no intention of snooping. It was simply an unfortunate timing that he accidentally brushed the power button on his visor, causing the lenses before his eyes to go dark.

He should have removed them.

But through the tiny gap between the visor and the outside world, he suddenly caught sight of the contents on Gano's screen.

That interface…

It was the submission page for the Blue Planet Literature Fisherman Cup.

Gano was going to submit a story!

What kind of novel would Gano write? Chronicles of the Zerg War? Observations on Personality Disorders? Those Years I Worked as a Blue Planet Translator?

All sorts of bizarre possibilities flooded Xi Yujin's mind, and honestly, every single one sounded plausible. But if Gano was going to write a novel, how could he not tell him? Xi Yujin certainly wouldn't give him long-winded literary advice. He would simply shower him with endless praise, then personally translate the work himself. Just imagining the scene made him happy.

And those alien readers would say… they would say…

"These two are definitely dating…"

Xi Yujin's thoughts abruptly veered away, as if obeying some subconscious rule to avoid dwelling on certain matters.

He noticed Gano was still editing the draft in the save box.

What exactly was he writing?

Curiosity overwhelmed morality. Xi Yujin darted a quick, furtive glance at the text.

He saw several words:

"To Yujinno…"

It was written for him.

His mind instantly went blank, unable to process the true meaning behind it.

And yet, he wasn't entirely unaware before. In that split-second moment of understanding between them, he suddenly realized what Gano was probably writing.

At once, his breathing tightened. His heartbeat accelerated wildly, like drums pounding in his ears. He was genuinely afraid Gano might notice something strange about him.

Fortunately, Gano was completely focused on his writing, unaware that the person leaning against his shoulder had already discovered part of his secret.

Inside Xi Yujin, it felt as if a hot-air balloon was endlessly inflating with a warm candle flame flickering at its center. He wanted desperately to know what Gano had written for him, yet feared it might not match what he secretly hoped for most.

But when he thought back on everything they had experienced together, every one of Gano's actions seemed to give him boundless reassurance.

Xi Yujin was cautious by nature. Even if there was a ninety-nine percent chance of something being true, he would still keep that remaining one percent of impossibility close to heart.

He hesitated.

Wavered.

If he kept reading, perhaps everything would become clear. There would be no need for waiting, no need for punishment or uncertainty.

But he also wanted to be kinder to his future self.

Didn't the future him deserve that complete, unspoiled surprise?

"Yujinno?"

At that moment, Gano seemed to notice something.

Xi Yujin immediately shut his eyes, deciding on the spot to pretend to be asleep, and never mention any of this.

He knew that the time spent waiting before the letter was finally revealed would become the most agonizing and happiest wait of his entire life.

"Waiting for updates is both sweet and torturous!"

An alien reader happily opened their optical computer.

"You never know what kind of amazing plot twist the author will write next. Every update feels like a gift box waiting to be opened. Finished novels can never give you this kind of excitement. I love following serializations!"

The novel it had recently been following was called The Literary Master and the Magical Girl, one of its favorite genres.

The characters were vivid and lively, embarking on fantastical and joyful adventures in a school setting. It was incredibly heartwarming. The reader guessed it was written either by Blue Planet's Feiniao or another enthusiast of the genre. In any case, it perfectly suited their tastes, and it loved it.

But after reading the latest update, its mouth slowly dropped open as its eyes spiraled into whirlpools:

"How can there be a plot twist like this?!"

"How can a magical girl die?!"

 

 

Author's Note:

【Non-existent Blue Planet Dialogue Situation 04】

Yujin: To deepen the impression of each novelist's genre, starting tomorrow, please wear clothing similar to the style of your own novel to work.

 

DAY 1

Jung: (Black dress with roses) (Top hat with netting)

Fu Ling: (White gauze dress) (Flower wreath)

 

DAY 2

Jung: (Black nails and black lipstick) (Carrying a gas lamp)

Fu Ling: (Face paint) (Feather ornaments)

 

DAY 3

Jung: (Short cape) (Benthorn hat)

Fu Ling: (Holding vodka) (Riding a brown bear)

Jung: ?

Ming Xing: So, what style are you?

Ember: Matching outfits with Gano.

Ming Xing: ?